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DNA Study Reveals Matrilineal, Matrilocal Society at Çatalhöyük

Genetic data from nearly 400 skeletons shows women remained in ancestral homes, signaling matrilocal residence with evolving burial rituals over centuries.

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Overview

  • The Science study draws on DNA from 395 skeletons to map maternal lineages that sustained household ties across generations.
  • Female burials contained five times more grave goods than male sites, reflecting women’s elevated social and ritual standing.
  • Genetic evidence reveals daughters stayed in birth homes while men typically married into maternal households.
  • Discovery of abundant female figurines supports long-held hypotheses of a “Mother Goddess” veneration.
  • Results challenge assumptions of early patriarchal societies by documenting kinship shifts over Çatalhöyük’s 1,200-year history.